NGC 2808
Scientific overview
NGC 2808 is a globular cluster in the constellation Carina. It shines at apparent magnitude 5.69 and spans about 9 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · NGC 2808
| Distance | 30,822 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 80.691226 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | 103.7 ± 0.3 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 138.012917 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -64.8635 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2015ApJ...812..149W · distance indicator: PM · catalogued value · source value 9.45 kpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2018MNRAS.478.1520B · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2010AJ....140.1830G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2010AJ....140.1830G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Carina
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carina NebulaC 92 · NGC 3372 | H II region | 3 | 120 |
| Wishing Well ClusterC 91 · NGC 3532 | Open cluster | 3 | 12 |
| NGC 2516C 96 · NGC 2516 | Open cluster | 3.8 | 24.3 |
| NGC 3114NGC 3114 | Open cluster | 4.2 | 12.3 |
| IC 2581 | Open cluster | 4.3 | 6 |
| NGC 3293NGC 3293 | Open cluster | 4.7 | 5.1 |
| NGC 3572NGC 3572 | Open cluster | 6.6 | 4.08 |
| NGC 3324NGC 3324 | Cluster with nebulosity | 6.7 | 4.8 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.